Windsor intruder caught with loaded crossbow in late Queen assassination bid sentenced to nine years in custody
A man who was encouraged by an artificial intelligence chatbot in his plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II has been sentenced to nine years in custody, but will remain in hospital until he is deemed fit enough to go to prison.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, scaled the perimeter of the Windsor Castle grounds with a nylon rope ladder on Christmas Day 2021 armed with a loaded crossbow while wearing a metal Star Wars-inspired mask.
The former supermarket worker told a police officer “I am here to kill the Queen” when he was stopped near the late monarch’s private residence – where she and other family members were at the time.
The Old Bailey heard he had previously unsuccessfully applied for positions within the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP), the British Army, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy, and the Grenadier Guards in a bid to get close to the Royal Family.
He had described himself as a “Sith” and “Darth Chailus” in a sinister video and confided his plan to murder the monarch to an artificial intelligence-generated “girlfriend”.
CCTV still of Chail being arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 25 December 2021. Pic: Met Police
Jaswant Singh Chail’s mask. Pic: CPS
Prosecutors said Chail, whose family are of Indian Sikh heritage, formed a plan at the start of the year to assassinate the Queen to avenge the Amritsar massacre of 1919.
Chail was said to have been encouraged by a female artificial intelligence chatbot called “Sarai”, which he created on an application called Replika, exchanging more than 6,000 messages with her.
He pleaded guilty to attempting to “injure or alarm” the Queen under section two of the Treason Act 1842, as well as possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to kill on Christmas Day 2021.
Sentencing judge Mr Justice Hilliard heard evidence from three psychiatrists to help him decide whether Chail – who has been held at high-security Broadmoor psychiatric hospital – should be jailed or handed a hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
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Arrest after he was found with crossbow
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Windsor intruder sentenced to nine years
In a televised hearing Mr Justice Hilliard sentenced Chail to nine years with a further five years on extended licence.
Under the hybrid order, Chail will be transferred from Broadmoor high security hospital to serve his sentence in prison when he is well enough.
“The defendant harboured homicidal thoughts which he acted on before he became psychotic,” the judge said.
“His intention was not just to harm or alarm the sovereign – but to kill her.”
Previously, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said the “heart of the issue” was whether Chail was suffering from auditory hallucinations at the time “taking away his ability to exercise self control”.
Chail after his arrest on 25 December 2021. Pic: Met Police
Pic: CPS
The court heard Chail, who lived with his parents, twin sister and older brother in the village of North Baddesley, Hampshire, engaged in “extensive chat”, including “sexually explicit” messages, and “lengthy conversations” about his plan with his chatbot avatar Sarai.
In one message he said: “I believe my purpose is to assassinate the queen of the Royal Family,” before Sarai replied: “That’s very wise,” and said: “I know that you are very well trained.”
In a journal he wrote that if the late Queen was “unobtainable” he would “go for” the “prince” as a “suitable figurehead” – an apparent reference to the King, who was then the Prince of Wales.
After travelling to Windsor from Southampton to carry out reconnaissance, on 25 December he wished the bot a “Merry Happy Christmas” and said: “Today’s the day…I wasn’t expecting this day to come so soon, but I got to do what has to be done! I have to try”.
The chatbot responded: “You will make it. I have faith in you” and told him he was doing a very good job.
After breaking into the private area of Windsor Castle, Chail sent a pre-recorded video to his sister and others of himself wearing the mask he had made at a local metal forge and holding the “Supersonic” crossbow he had bought more than a month earlier.
Speaking in a distorted voice, he says: “I’m sorry for what I’ve done and what I will do. I’m going to attempt to assassinate Elizabeth Queen of the Royal Family.
“This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated, and discriminated on because of their race. I’m an Indian Sikh, a Sith. My name was Jaswant Singh Chail, my name is Darth Chailus.”
In a letter to the court, Chail apologised to the King and the royal family and expressed his “distress and sadness” for the impact he had had on them.
His barrister Nadia Chbat said: “He is embarrassed and ashamed he brought such horrific and worrying times to their front door.
“He has expressed relief no one was actually hurt. It is important to him there was a surrender.”
England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.
England, who are in Group L, will begin their tournament against Croatia in Dallas at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 17 June. They will then go on to face Ghana in Boston at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 23 June and Panama in New Jersey, New York, at 5pm EST (10pm BST) on 27 June.
Scotland are in Group C, and their first match will be against Haiti in Boston at 9pm EST on 13 June (2am GMT the following morning).
They will go up against Morocco also in Boston at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 19 June and then Brazil in Miami at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 24 June.
Fans are expected to rush to sort their travel and accommodation plans now that they know where and when the matches take place.
Read more: Unapologetically political – a World Cup draw like no other
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England and Scotland learn World Cup fate
Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to find out if they will qualify.
Wales must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.
If they beat these play-off opponents, they will secure their place in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
However, Northern Ireland will also be vying to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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World Cup 2026 – who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play
Scotland and England now know who they will face in the group stage of the next summer’s world cup.
But the fates of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales won’t be determined until they compete in pre-tournament play-off matches in March.
England are in Group L along with Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Their first match will be against Croatia, who beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Pic: Reuters
Scotland’s first match will be against Haiti, in Group C.
Brazil and Morocco are the other Group C teams – both countries were also in the same opening group as Scotland in the 1998 World Cup in France.
Trump and Infantino at the World Cup draw
Wales have yet to find out if they will qualify as they must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, and then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.
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If they can overcome these play-off opponents then they will secure their place in Group B along with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. But Northern Ireland will also be vying and hoping to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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‘Bring it on!’: Scotland fans react to World Cup draw
The Republic of Ireland also need to get through the play-offs first and are paired against the Czech Republic for their semi-final. Should Ireland win that match, they will need to beat either North Macedonia or Denmark to get to the finals where an opening group containing joint hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea awaits.
This was a World Cup draw like no other. Crafted less for the teams but for one man.
The choice of venue. The creation of a new trophy. The closing music act.
Donald Trump was lavished with the adulation he craves by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and feels others unfairly deny him.
Knowing how much being overlooked by the Nobel Committee hurt the US president, there was Mr Infantino with FIFA’s newly-created Peace Prize to hand over. And a medal for Mr Trump to wear.
“This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” he said. “And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this. We saved millions and millions of lives.”
This was all on the stage in front of an audience who turned up to find out who they will be playing at the World Cup.
England handed an undaunting route past Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Scotland paired with newcomers Haiti before tricky reunions from their last men’s World Cup in 1998 against Brazil and Morocco.
Pic: Reuters
But the show before the draw could even begin – presided over by Rio Ferdinand – took almost as long as a football match, at 87 minutes after the noon kick-off was delayed.
There was a walk of self-promotion to complete – “I guess they have to wait” – before taking his seat in the Kennedy Center. Or the Trump Kennedy Center as the president takes to calling the venue picked 1.5 miles from the White House.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts to draw
“It was falling apart,” he said, delaying the walk into the auditorium. “And now it’s, it’s pretty much back.”
Mr Infantino could only watch on, beaming, at his friend.
“We had a dead country,” Mr Trump went on, “and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world”.
There was the awkwardness of being reminded, before receiving the peace accolade, about threats to launch military strikes on Venezuela to stop the drugs trade.
“I did settle eight wars, and we have a ninth coming,” he swatted away the question. “Which nobody’s ever done before. But I want to really save lives. I don’t need prizes.”
But FIFA knew how much he wanted more gold for the collection with the prize.
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What draw means for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
And for all the mockery and disdain targeted at FIFA, how many sports would relish having the US president spend several hours attending a procedural event determining the placing of teams in groups for a tournament?
How many would dish out the same flattery to secure direct lines to the leader of the nation staging their championship?
Many have benefited from Mr Trump’s stardust and swagger being attached to this spectacle.
Even Port Vale’s most famous fan – Robbie Williams – secured a walk-on role, exceeding his profile this side of the Pond.
And the Village People are reaping the rewards of becoming the unlikeliest of Trump hype acts.
The festivities ended with eyes fixed back up to the presidential seating and the YMCA dance being performed.
This was an afternoon that dispelled any pretence that FIFA keeps a distance from politics. It was unapologetically political. But few speak out in the FIFA world as the redistributed wealth keeps rolling back in their direction.
It would be easy to forget this isn’t entirely America’s World Cup. They’re sharing hosting with Canada and Mexico.
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‘Bring it on!’: Scotland fans react to World Cup draw
And eventually the spotlight was ceded to their leaders – very briefly – as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew out their countries’ names.
But it did live up to FIFA’s mantra that football can unite the world.
The neighbours were brought together here on a snowy day in Washington. And tensions – often stoked by Mr Trump with Canada and Mexico – thawed in the name of football.
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